<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>The Stars in Our Skies by Riverthunder</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28625829">The Stars in Our Skies</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Riverthunder/pseuds/Riverthunder'>Riverthunder</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Doctor Strange (2016), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Asexual Stephen strange, Gen, Harley Gets Them Together Because Tony Won't Ask Stephen Himself, M/M, Professor Stephen Strange, Professor Tony Stark, Stargazing, Student Harley Keener, Student Peter Parker, Tony Doesn't Realize Who Stephen Is Though, Tony and Stephen are Heroes, Tony and Stephen in Love</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 10:47:52</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,870</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28625829</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Riverthunder/pseuds/Riverthunder</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony Stark- Iron Man, billionaire, playboy, genius, philanthropist, and Engineering Professor on the side, with a massive crush on the new Astronomy Professor, Stephen Strange, who seems very familiar. Tony just can't put his finger on why... yet.</p>
<p>Their students, Peter Parker and Harley Keener, can see the obvious attraction between the two, and Harley decides to do something about it. The real question is whether or not Stephen will agree to a date with Tony.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Harley Keener &amp; Peter Parker &amp; Tony Stark, Harley Keener &amp; Tony Stark, Peter Parker &amp; Harley Keener, Peter Parker &amp; Tony Stark, Tony Stark/Stephen Strange</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>84</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>IronStrange Gift Exchange 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Stars in Our Skies</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Whoomst/gifts">Whoomst</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Alrighty, so first I need to apologize to my giftee, TheSpaceCryptid. I tried to finish your gift early, and I want to say I had it done sometime between the 15th and the 20th? And after a lazy Christmas Day I went into my Google Drive to post this and it was just... gone. I have no idea what happened. So I had to redo the whole thing from scratch. In some ways I like this version a lot more, though- and in others I think the original was a little better? But overall I'm pleased with this.</p>
<p>You had a lot of ideas I absolutely <i>adore</i>- like Asexual Stephen (insert my heart eyes here), and stargazing dates, and these two being professors. Just. Mwah. Beautiful.</p>
<p>Also, I'm tagging this as Teen due to some discussions of sex- nothing graphic, though, obviously- since I headcanon ace Stephen as a sex-repulsed asexual like myself.</p>
<p>I hope you like the fic and your bonus artwork to make up for how late this ended up being! Apologies again!!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  
</p>
<p>Tony stared just a little bit as the new astronomy teacher strolled into the break room and began fixing himself a cup of oolong tea. He had a beautiful face, with sharp cheekbones and a well-defined jaw, as well as piercing, beautiful eyes. Tony also had a funny feeling that he’d met the astronomy teacher many times before, but he couldn’t put a finger on where.</p>
<p>He knew Professor Strange had been a surgeon back in the day, and he was sure he’d seen him at some of the galas he’d attended in his youth. But it felt like he’d seen Strange more recently than that.</p>
<p>He was very obviously distracted during his class, and he gave up on whatever physics explanation he’d been trying to give the poor engineering class he was clearly confusing, and told them to just go ahead and work on homework, giving them a bonus extra two days on his latest paper as well to top it off while he sat back down at his desk to think.</p>
<p>At the end of the period, two of his best students came to sit next to him.</p>
<p>“Everything okay, Professor Stark?” Peter asked while Harley gave him a knowing smile.</p>
<p>“Fine, boys, just a little off my rhythm is all,” Tony said, trying to look unconcerned.</p>
<p>“You sure?” Harley asked innocently. “Sure it’s not something else? A certain someone, maybe? Like… I dunno… the hot new astronomy professor?”</p>
<p>Tony had been taking a drink of coffee and choked on it at Harley’s words, which was decidedly <i>not good</i>, since the coffee was still piping hot thanks to his specially designed insulated mug. “I- you- <i>what</i>?” Tony spluttered.</p>
<p>“What?” Harley asked innocently. “He’s kinda like you, Professor. A silver fox. He’s smokin’.”</p>
<p>“Harley!” Peter said indignantly. “You can’t say that about a professor!”</p>
<p>Harley shrugged. “Too bad, it’s true, Pete. ‘Sides, Professor Stark should come to terms with the idea.”</p>
<p>Tony’s eyes narrowed suspiciously at Harley’s tone. “Oh really?” He asked. “Why?”</p>
<p>Harley shrugged innocently. “Because I wrote Professor Strange a note in your handwriting and hid it in his desk drawer asking him to go on a date with you tonight at 8:00.”</p>
<p>Tony stood up so quickly his coffee mug almost spilled all over the papers he’d collected from his first period, but before he could shout at Harley at the top of his lungs, a certain handsome professor was standing in his doorway.</p>
<p>“Oh,” Stephen said, looking from Tony to their students. “I’m sorry, are you busy? I could come back another time.”</p>
<p>He was holding a piece of paper that had obviously been folded a few times in one of his trembling hands.</p>
<p>“No, we were just leaving,” Harley said sweetly.</p>
<p>Peter felt himself blushing for some reason as he passed Professor Stark a quick note of his own. “Um, I just wanted to know if you’d please check my work on these chemistry notes,” he said.</p>
<p>Tony glanced down at them. A new web-fluid design. He nodded to Peter. “Yes. Yes. I’ll look them over and e-mail you with any necessary changes.”</p>
<p>“Thanks!”</p>
<p>Without another word, Peter seized Harley’s upper arm and dashed out of the room, while Harley laughed and tried to protest, clearly thrilled with watching Tony flounder in the presence of his crush. You could hardly blame him. Seeing Tony Stark, Iron Man, who was a professor for <i>fun</i>, flounder, was a rare and almost unheard of sight.</p>
<p>“Hello, Professor Stark,” Strange said politely, and Tony felt his face heating up. “Um- hi- I-”</p>
<p>“I am very sorry,” Stephen said, setting the note in his hand down on Tony’s desk. Tony caught a glimpse of the handwriting- fucking <i>identical</i> to his own. That damn Keener brat. When Tony got his hands on him-</p>
<p>“But I am afraid I must decline your invitation.”</p>
<p>Oh.</p>
<p>Tony hadn’t even known he was asking Stephen on a date a few minutes ago, but somehow Stephen’s words still stung.
</p><p>“Oh,” he said out loud. “Uh… busy?”</p>
<p>“No,” Stephen replied.</p>
<p>Yeah, that <i>definitely</i> hurt.</p>
<p>“Oh.” Tony glanced at the note and quickly plucked it off the desk. “Okay. That’s fine, I understand. I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable with this.”</p>
<p>“You didn’t,” Stephen told him. “It was actually very flattering. But I don’t think you would like to be in a relationship with me, so I am afraid I must decline.”</p>
<p>Wait, what?</p>
<p>“Uh… sorry, you lost me,” Tony said awkwardly.</p>
<p>Stephen chuckled. “I identify as asexual,” he explained. “Specifically, a sex-repulsed asexual. And from what I know of your past...er, <i>love life</i>, I think it’s better if I decline the invitation altogether. I don’t want to upset you because you want to have sex and I don’t.”</p>
<p>Tony’s eyes widened. “So it <i>is</i> an ace ring!” He said, pointing at the black ring on Stephen’s middle finger on his right hand. “Rhodey called me crazy and said it was a swinger’s ring!”</p>
<p>Stephen blinked in surprise and glanced down at his ring. “Er- yes, it is,” he agreed.</p>
<p>“Cool! Okay.” Tony shot him a smirk. “In that case- are you an ace of spades?”</p>
<p>Stephen looked shocked. “You- you know about the card suits?”</p>
<p>“Sure do,” Tony said proudly.</p>
<p>Stephen narrowed his eyes. “Okay then- who uses the ace of diamonds?”</p>
<p>“Demisexuals and demiromantic asexuals,” Tony said. “Ace of clubs is for graysexual and grayromantic, ace of spades is for aromantic asexuals, and ace of hearts is for romantic asexuals.”</p>
<p>He grinned, and Stephen had to crack a smile. “Very impressive.”</p>
<p>“So, what’s your suit, Doc?” Tony asked, grinning at him, and Stephen had to resist the urge to let that smile widen.</p>
<p>“Ace of hearts. I’m a romantic asexual.”</p>
<p>Tony grinned. “I can work with that.”</p>
<p>Stephen allowed his face to fall into a small frown. “Tony, I-”</p>
<p>“Look, Doc, I don’t need sex to be happy,” Tony said. “I’ve had loads in my day, yeah, but I’m a big boy and frankly, I think it’s about time I had a relationship that wasn’t so focused on it. If you’re good with a romantic relationship, I can be happy with one, too.”</p>
<p>Stephen chuckled despite himself. “Persistent, aren’t you?”</p>
<p>“Very,” Tony said, a bit smugly.</p>
<p>Stephen chuckled. “Very well.” He wrote something on a small scrap of paper and offered it to Tony, taking back the note Harley had written. “You can pick me up there, at 8:00.”</p>
<p>“I’ll be there,” Tony said, snatching the fake letter back. “And I’ll give you something actually written by me then.”</p>
<p>~(*)~</p>
<p>Tony pulled up to the house on Bleecker Street. Huh… looked kinda like a museum, to be honest.</p>
<p>The elegant Professor Strange was already walking to meet the car. “Right on time,” he teased, climbing in. He looked like he was putting on a brave face as he entered, and Tony took note of the way Stephen’s hand reached for the cabinet handle on the inside of the door.</p>
<p>Tony bit his lip. “I just like to be on time to things,” he said casually, placing his right hand on the console if Stephen wanted to hold it too, or instead.</p>
<p>Stephen nodded. “Well, I appreciate it. So, what’s the plan for our date?”</p>
<p>“I think you told Professor Verity that you like ramen from Samurai Noodle, right?”</p>
<p>Stephen smiled. “Yes, that’s right.”</p>
<p>“Great! Then we’re getting take-out,” Tony told him, grinning to himself. “And I have a great idea of where we can eat it.”</p>
<p>“Oh? And where is that, exactly?”</p>
<p>“It’s a secret,” Tony said, smirking. “Are you ready to go?”</p>
<p>Stephen nodded, looking amused as he took Tony’s free hand on the console. “That I am. Let’s go, Professor Stark.”</p>
<p>Tony snorted as he started the car. “Alright.”</p>
<p>He tried to sound cool, but he knew that he had started blushing.</p>
<p>~(*)~</p>
<p>“So what exactly are we doing in the middle of nowhere in the middle of the night?” Stephen asked as Tony laid a large blanket out in one of the large fields near the Avengers Compound.</p>
<p>“Why?” Tony asked, smirking at him. “Don’t you trust me?”</p>
<p>Stephen chuckled. “Is that your way of saying you’re secretly an ax murderer about to eviscerate me in the middle of this field, free of any witnesses?”</p>
<p>“Ouch,” Tony complained. “You’re really good at wounding someone’s ego, you know that, Strange?”</p>
<p>“So what’s the real reason we’re out here, then?” Stephen asked, amused.</p>
<p>“Lay down,” Tony ordered, pointing to the blanket. “And look up.”</p>
<p>Stephen did so, and gasped in surprise. “<i>The stars….</i>” He breathed, sounding mesmerized.</p>
<p>“That’s right,” Tony said, smiling at him. “Not to easy to see them in the city. But I figured you’re the Astronomy Professor… maybe you’d like to see them more clearly? Maybe teach me something I don’t know?”</p>
<p>“Lay down,” Stephen ordered quietly. “There… Orion the Hunter. Can you see his belt? The three stars, just here.”</p>
<p>“Oh… right,” Tony said. “Isn’t he that dude everyone says Artemis loved?”</p>
<p>“A common misconception these days,” Stephen murmured. “In many of the myths, Artemis was actually the one to kill him, on purpose, for harassing her friends, the Pleiades, or she would encourage someone else to kill him for her, such as Apollo. He’d summon a giant scorpion to kill Orion, which many believe is Scorpio, as the two constellations aren’t around at the same time. When Scorpio rises, Orion vanishes.”</p>
<p>“Cool,” Tony said softly, staring up at the night sky with Stephen. “What else can you see?”</p>
<p>“Sirius, the Dog Star, Orion’s hunting dog,” Stephen said, pointing to the bright star. You can see the constellation Taurus there. Gemini there. Monoceros is there, very faint. You see? Look closely.”</p>
<p>“Beautiful,” Tony murmured, resting his head on Stephen’s chest as he gazed up at the sky.</p>
<p>Stephen smiled to himself and wrapped an arm around him. “Hmm. Not as beautiful as you,” he murmured in a thoughtful voice, making Tony blush.</p>
<p>~(*)~</p>
<p>“Was that an okay date?” Tony wondered as he drove Stephen back to Bleecker Street.</p>
<p>Stephen smiled at him. “You don’t know?”</p>
<p>“Not really,” Tony admitted. “And I kinda wanna… you know. Do this again.”</p>
<p>Stephen chuckled as they reached the museum door. Wait… how come even the building looked sort of familiar? And the street…?</p>
<p>“Well, in that case… it was a perfect date, Professor Stark.” Stephen leaned over, kissing his lips gently. “And I expect to go on another one with you very soon.”</p>
<p>“Sure,” Tony said, a little breathlessly, his eyes wide as he stared at Stephen. “Whatever you want….”</p>
<p>“Perfect.” Stephen smiled at him, and suddenly something long, red, and fluttering was at his throat, gently tugging him out of the car. “Alright, Levi, alright. I’m coming,” Stephen murmured, reaching out to stroke the red fabric.</p>
<p>Tony stared at it. A sentient cloak….</p>
<p>Wait- was he-?</p>
<p>Stephen was already disappearing inside the door when Tony found his voice, so he couldn’t ask him directly. He sat in the dark of his car, dumbfounded, and feeling his heart pounding. Was that the kiss, his sudden epiphany, or both?</p>
<p>“FRIDAY?”</p>
<p>“Yes, Boss?” Chirped the cool Irish accent.</p>
<p>“Am… am I dating the Sorcerer Supreme?”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>To clarify the "Stephen is the Sorcerer Supreme but Tony doesn't recognize him but is sure he's met him before" thing- I headcanon that Stephen's magic acts as a sort of "barrier" to his identity- and just protects his identity for him. I got the idea from Cute High Earth Defense Club actually- where the villains and heroes can't really recognize each other as specific students when they meet due to "radio interference" almost- but in my Stephen headcanon, it's more that the magic puts a sort of veil over Stephen, so Tony is sure he's met him before, but he can't put his finger on where until he recognizes Cloakie and goes "oh shit, Stephen's the Sorcerer Supreme I've been battling monsters with???"</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>